Understanding the Difference: Cultural Diversity vs Cultural Competence
Cultural diversity and cultural competence might seem like interchangeable terms, but they are quite different. In this article, we’ll look at what these terms mean, their differences, and how cultural competence can be applied in a professional setting.
What is Cultural Diversity?
Cultural diversity refers to the presence of differences in social structures, religions, values, beliefs, languages, and customs within a society. Cultural diversity results in a community with individuals who differ in terms of age, gender, race, ethnicity, and physical abilities. It also encompasses the diverse perspectives, ideas, and cultural artifacts that create a rich tapestry of society.
What is Cultural Competence?
Cultural competence refers to the ability of individuals or organizations to understand, respect, and work effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. It is the demonstration of knowledge, attitudes, and skills that assist in building relationships and facilitating effective interactions among cultures.
The Differences between Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competence
Cultural diversity focuses on the differences between cultures, while cultural competence is about how to effectively work across these differences. Cultural diversity is about acknowledging and celebrating differences, while cultural competence is about bridging gaps to achieve common goals.
Cultural diversity can be passive, whereas cultural competence must be actively achieved. Cultural diversity simply exists when a range of cultures is present, while cultural competence requires intentional steps to establish mutual understanding, trust, and effective communication between different cultures.
Why is Cultural Competence Important?
Cultural competence is an important skill to have in today’s globalized world. As companies become more diverse, and workforces span continents, it’s important to understand how cultural backgrounds, values, and beliefs can impact the way people interact and work together.
By embracing cultural competence, an individual or an organization can build trust, promote respect, and foster inclusivity. By building these relationships across cultures, it’s possible to bridge potential divides that can cause conflict, communication difficulties, and other issues.
Real-Life Examples
Cultural competence is essential in industries that deal with diversity, such as education, healthcare, and customer service.
In the healthcare industry, cultural competence can improve the quality of care provided to patients from different cultural backgrounds. In customer service, cultural competence skills can help companies provide better services to customers who may have different cultural expectations and customs.
In education, cultural competency can help teachers adapt their teaching style to accommodate the different learning styles of students from diverse backgrounds.
Conclusion
Cultural diversity is just the first step in building a strong, inclusive community, and cultural competence is the next important step. By recognizing and respecting differences, building trust, and actively working towards effective communication and collaboration, individuals and organizations can create environments that promote understanding and respect. Ultimately, cultural competence allows for more efficient and effective collaboration across diverse cultures, increasing productivity, job satisfaction, and creating more inclusive societies.
